Living Beyond Reality
by Kasuhisa
Summary: Note This is way off from my other fics, so stick with me here. Names still hung fresh in her mind, and she wondered if she had such a vivid imagination as to think up so many. The history books said nothing about those people and this caused her great co
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Dream or Reality?**

She stood looking at the sacred tree silently. At sixteen, she now wondered if everything had been a dream. The well was dead, and the dream was over. But was it really a dream? Sighing, she walked back to the shrine home and entered the house, looking once back to the shack that held the mysterious well.

When she had woken from her strange dream, her mother had told her that she had been in a coma for several months. Somehow, that had been rather familiar. In her dream state, that is exactly what had happened, and now frowning, closing the door behind her, Kagome wondered if everything had indeed been a fluttering of clouds through her mind.

Shaking her head, Kagome had even tried her hand at archery, but to no avail. In truth she had not even come close to the target. She had even tried to locate the grave of a woman from her dream, but that wasn't anywhere either. Sitting at the table, she watched her mother bustle about the kitchen tirelessly, preparing the evening meal.

Names still hung fresh in her mind, and she wondered if she had such a vivid imagination as to think up so many. The history books said nothing about those people and this caused her great confusion. Everything in her dream had been so real.

Once Kagome had even gotten up close and personal with the sacred tree, searching for a hole that had been present in her dreams. She had, in her dream cut her finger on a sharp object, but even the hole was gone. Sighing again, her mother turned around and smiled gently.

"Why so glum, Kagome?"

"I don't know mom." She answered absently. Her mind still fumbling over her strange dreams. Standing up, Kagome climbed the stairs and entered her bedroom. Sitting down on her bed, she stared at everything around her. It was the same as in her dream. Something was missing though. She knew that it were those people from her dreams. Even when she remembered the first moment that everything was familiar, she had desperately tried to place herself back into those dreams, but that had been so many months ago, and she was still here.

Lying down on her stomach, Kagome laid her head on her folded arms and thought back to that night when she had tried to jump into the well. Of course nothing had happened. "But everyone felt so real." Oh indeed she remembered their names, what they looked like, and she had even drawn images of them to show her family. Obviously those pictures had not even jogged their memory.

The doctors had proclaimed that coma's did different things to people. Her's just happened to be full of strange dreams. Kagome was so frustrated though. She even remembered that evil demon Naraku. Shaking her head and pushing herself up off the bed, she pushed the curtain aside from her window staring out as she had in her dreams.

Frowning, her last dreams were cloudy. They had fought that monster Naraku, killing him finally, and everyone had been there. The monk and demon slayer, Kohaku, Shippo, Sesshoumaru, Kouga, Ayame, Kikyou, and whoever else Naraku had betrayed or used. Even that half demon had been there. That one who she fell in love with. Clenching her hand into a fist, she slammed it down on her window frame. "It had to have been real!" She cursed.

Yet there was nothing there to even prove it to herself. Her dream had abruptly ended when she had gathered the many shards of the shikon. In her dream she had placed them in her hand and a bright white light engulfed her. She had woken in the hospital with her mother staring down at her crying.

Kagome had tried so many things, to prove that everything had not been a dream, but because of her coma, she had been sent to many doctors who told her it had been nothing more then her way of protecting herself from pain.

Finally, after months of therapy, Kagome had admitted that it must have been only what the doctors had said. Instead of continuing on like a mad woman, Kagome had decided to write everything down in a journal. Of course she had to hide it from everyone, or they would send her back to those psychiatrists. She knew that.

Shaking her head, and turning away from the window, Kagome sat down at her desk and opened her drawer revealing the brown book that held all her thoughts. It was strange, inside were drawn pictures of her friends, looking so fresh and alive, but so angry now, she threw the book across the room.

Try as she might, Kagome seemed lost. She had even tried to go back to her old life, or at least the one before the coma, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape those so fresh memories. Slamming her hand on her desk, she quickly corrected herself. '_Dreams! Dammit!_'

Standing up angrily, she stalked across the room, snatched her book off the floor and tossed into her desk. Slamming the door behind her, Kagome exited the house quickly. She needed to clear her mind. Why couldn't she just live her life? Her friends had finally given up, saying that they had no such conversation with her about Hojo or Inuyasha. Hojo had even denied that he ever asked her out on a date. He said he had a girl friend, and that he would never date a junior. That had been Kagome's first tumble to a life of loneliness.

The next one had been when she had walked with her friends telling them about her dream of Inuyasha; they had called her a nut case, and politely suggested she get professional help. Kagome also had gone to look at her pink bike that had been destroyed in her dreams, but she found it whole in the shed of their shrine home.

Descending the stairs that lead away from her home, Kagome walked down the sidewalk sadly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get over the dreams. Lifting her eyes to the sky, she sighed again. What kind of life would that have been, anyways? Snorting to herself, she turned back to the shrine and climbed the stairs again. Lately, she had no reason to go far. It was summer, so she had no school, her friends had abandoned her and even her family seemed to keep her at a distance.

Walking over to the shack that held the well, she opened the sliding doors and slipped them closed behind her. Staring down at the wooden well that was covered with a large wooden board she frowned. This was where her dreams had started, and playing everything back in her mind, she slowly walked down the steps pushing the lid off carefully. Every week or so Kagome would come here and jump into the well, only to be met with the hard packed earth below, and she felt tears well up in her eyes.

Sliding down leaning against the side of the well she sobbed. What kind of life was she going to live if she couldn't get past her dreams? Her mother had told her that she was in a coma for eleven months, and for four months, Kagome had gone to therapy. She sobbed harder. Her birthday had been spent in the psychiatric ward in the hospital, her having gone crazy with denial.

Now that she was free from that horrid experience, she found herself wanting desperately to return to the coma and back to her dream friends. She would relive that entire experience if only to see those people again. How she wanted to see him again.

Smiling sadly, she remembered his little puppy dog-ears and his golden eyes. Was she really crazy? She must be if she could completely dream up a whole world, and continue wishing it were real. Shaking her head, she stood up and stared once again down into the well. It looked the same as it always did, as it did in her dreams, and as it did now.

Sitting on the ledge she lowered her head, her eyes longing to be swallowed up by the darkness. Brushing her bangs out of her eyes, she moved her eyes away from the well instead looking at the damp darkness that surrounded her.

Mother had told her that a car, which had caused her coma, had hit her not falling into the well. Kagome wondered how she had been hit in the first place. She didn't even have a memory of that incident.

Her grades had begun to decline, and she knew she had to come to terms with her crazy behavior before she did something really stupid, but no matter how hard she tried, those people's faces would not go away. She knew the history of the shikon jewel, when a wish is made it was granted. But if that were true, why would she have wished to return home with dreams, and no one else to remember them as they had in her dreams? That had been the only thing that was the same from her dreams, that stupid jewel.

According to the history books the jewel had been lost at the end of the feudal era, and had yet to be found again. Kagome had even gone so far as to lift her shirt in the middle of the library, searching for the scar that had been left behind in her dreams, where the jewel had been ripped out of.

Even that had not been there. However her embarrassment had definitely been real, when Hojo had walked around the corner, seeing her exposed upper body, kneeling with a book in her lap. His words had stung; he had definitely been kinder in her dream.

"Put your stupid shirt on girl. Get over yourself or go back to the psychiatric ward. You're driving everyone nuts." He had turned away angrily, and had informed his friends who had told their friends, and so forth spreading the rumor that she had displayed herself like a whore for him.

Kagome's life had gotten even worse after that. At first the girls in the older classes had begun whispering about her, then talking about her, while she was right there. Then as the months past, the younger girls were starting to talk about the slut who shamelessly showed her body to Hojo to get his attention. After that Hojo's girl friend had basically bullied her to tears on several occasions, and Kagome was finally glad that school had ended, leaving her a summer to herself.

Still she wasn't happy. Standing up remembering her dreadful last months at school, she glared down into the well and yelled. "Why me? SIT!" Of course even though in her dreams a certain half demon would crash to the ground at that word, nothing happened now. The well remained quiet silently mocking her. "Well damn. Why would I be so stupid as to let myself remember everything if I desired to come home? It must have been a stupid dream for all this shit to happen." Shaking her head and stalking away from the silent well, Kagome slid open the doors of the shack and grumbled. "Get over yourself, Kagome! Everyone is right, you are slowly drowning in your own self pity that only you can surface from."

Declaring to herself that she needed to do something, Kagome finally decided to forget those dreams, and start thinking about her life that she had now. Obviously she had to do something, rather then allow herself to be constantly filled with grief. She needed to get on with her life, but how was she going to do that? The life she had lead in those dreams were so much more enjoyable then the one she was leading now. Shrugging her shoulders, she planted a false smile on her face and decided what better time to do this then now? It was time she forgot about those people, and start reflecting on what she would do with her life now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Simplicity In its True Form**

It was a sunny day, as she opened her eyes, coming into contact with the bright light of day. Taking a deep breath, Kagome slipped out of bed and stretched. Perhaps her whole out look on life would be different today. She had spent just over a week trying to convince herself that everything had been a dream. But no matter how hard she tried to forget the faces, incidents and emotions; Kagome couldn't possibly even begin to image life without those dreams that haunted her each night. She had begun to accept them. Even though they were dreams, she could still visit those friends while she slept.

Dressing quickly, Kagome raced down the stairs of her home and placed a fake grin on her face for her mother.

"Good morning, dear."

Kagome stretched again and nodded. "Is it alright if I go out today?"

"Where will you go?"

Kagome placed her finger to her chin for a moment before answering. "Maybe the park. It looks so wonderful outside that I think that the sunshine will do me some good."

Her mother nodded. "Would you like me to make you something to eat?"

Kagome shook her head. "It's okay mom, I'll grab something to eat while I'm out."

"Okay dear. Be home for dinner though." Her mother said gently.

"Thanks mom." Without another word, Kagome exited her shrine home and walked down the stairs reaching the street in due time. She was still lost in thought about her dreams, but she wasn't over come with so much sadness as she had been a week ago. Every night, she had those faces appear to her, especially his. Frowning, his face was slightly faded. Hazy was more the word. His golden eyes delved deep into her soul and caused her heart to flutter just thinking about him. What really made her ponder this strange memory or dream were the small white ears that sat on top of his head, surrounded by a mass of silver white hair? Shaking her head furiously, she dislodged those thoughts and entered the park silently.

Looking around she saw many young children playing on the various apparatuses that filled the park. Girls played on the swing, boys threw balls back and forth, and both sexes were playing in the sand boxes. They were all happy children, laughing and giggling without a care in the world except for this day that they had in the sunshine.

Smiling softly, Kagome sat down on one of the benches and sighed. Lately she did a lot of that, but she didn't care anymore. If sighing relieved her rattled brain then she would do it as often as she wished.

She was startled out of her thoughts when a ball bounced towards her. Getting up quickly, she grabbed the ball and held it out for the little boy and she smiled. "I think this belongs to you." Kagome stated.

The small boy nodded and took the ball; quickly running away in his excitement to continue whatever game he and his friends were playing. Seating herself back down, she looked around the park, still wishing that those faces would appear to her in this reality.

Shaking her head, she needed to forget those people, if she was going to get on with her life. Seriously, who would want to be friends with her constantly sighing, moody and smile less? At sixteen, she realized that having no friends would be dreadful. She had no one to hang out with, no one to shop with besides her mother, and no one to share her life with. She wasn't certain as to why Hojo had changed so much. Before all this happened, in her dreams also, he had been caring, sweet and always gentle hearted. He now shunned her like she was a crazed lunatic. Giggling softly to herself, she almost believed that she was too. Her first day back at school had been alright, but as soon as she had mentioned her coma dreams, everyone's face had dropped their concern, and became somewhat filled with ridicule.

She was now a target of constant gossip; an easy target and she knew she shouldn't let those things bother her. However, they did, and everyone knew it, that was why they constantly teased her, and pushed her buttons. Silently, she knew that if she just ignored all the whispers and constant bullying, they would stop. Sighing yet again, she slumped in her seat. When would she be happy again?

'If those faces would either vanish or prove to everyone that it wasn't a dream.' She silently chastised herself. The sacred jewel granted wishes. What would her wish have been? She wondered. 'I know I sure as hell wouldn't wish to forget them!' Pondering what her wish would have been, she let her eyes wander around the park. 'I would wish to always remember them, and for them to be happy.'

Sitting forward, she wondered if that was part of it. 'Did they maybe want to forget me?' Frowning, she placed her elbows on her knees and swallowed. 'Is that why I no longer have access to the feudal era?'

It wasn't possible. The demon slayer had become a great friend, never judging her for anything. Miroku the monk had always given superb advice in the worst situations, and had also become a good friend. Shippo was a sweet demon. He had always snuggled up to her and defended her no matter what. She loved the little fox. Then there was him. The silver haired one. Oh she remembered him, his temper, and constant refusal to accept anything that remotely resulted in emotion. She knew he cared, that much was certain, but would he want to forget her?

Smiling softly, she knew if he was still in love with Kikyou, then yes he maybe would want to forget her. 'No, he would never want that. He grew to trust me, depend on me, and possibly care for me even though it may not have been love.' Leaned back against the bench again, Kagome laid her head back and stared at the blue sky absently. She could still feel his arms around her, telling her he had been scared. He had been scared for her life, and didn't want anything bad to happen to her. She still remembered pressing her lips against his begging him not to change. There had been so many touching moments with that strange puppy dog-eared demon.

She pressed her fingers against her lips and remembered the kiss. He had kissed her back once he had regained his mind. Sitting forward suddenly, she remembered much more then she had only moments ago. Kagome had promised to never forget them, no matter what. A promise that over ruled anything, even a desperate wish. 'No wonder I can't forget anyone.' She gasped softly. It was almost when someone forgot the name of a song and sat for hours trying to think of the name, but having it on the tip of your tongue. Then the song would appear at the strangest times, and it would be uttered possibly days later.

Standing up and shouting into the sky, his name flew from her mouth even though it had eluded her for weeks. "Inuyasha! You Baka!" She shouted. Stopping stunned for a moment, his name fluttered around on the breeze for a moment before her mind registered that she indeed had remembered correctly. "Inuyasha!" She whispered. Her eyes lifted and she realized that her sudden outburst had stopped all movement in the park and she grinned sheepishly, waving apologetically.

Sitting back down on the bench once the park began to move again, and the stares on her ceased, Kagome fought with her brain to remember more of that demon named Inuyasha. "He was a hanyou." She muttered to herself. "Only a half demon. His name was Inuyasha, and he loved Kikyou and then grew to care about me. Stupid Inuyasha." She grumbled. Oh she remembered sitting him on several occasions when he had angered her, but the name had just come to her. "Stupid Inuyasha!" She cried out again, making some of the kids playing ball to move away from where she was seated. Shrugging, not really caring, she snorted. How crazy she must sound to those poor kids. His golden eyes bored into her mind, piercing her thoughts and she smiled wanting to remember them.

Her dreams filtered again and she gasped as her memory allowed her to remember holding the jewel. She had held it to her heart once it had been completed and purified. She then had handed it to him, to Inuyasha. She knew he had desired to become a full-fledged demon and passing him the jewel she had wondered if that was what he wished for. Kagome had seen Inuyasha hold the jewel in one hand, and stare down at her. Were those tears in his eyes?

Kagome remembered reaching around his neck and taking off the sit beads. The beads of subjugation. She had also handed those to him, and then the light had surrounded her, and she had opened her eyes staring at her mother's tearful face. It couldn't have been a dream. There was no way, but why couldn't she return to them? Unless Inuyasha wished for her to leave forever. Clenching her fist, she wondered if part of his wish was to erase everyone's memory of him and the others.

Was she going nuts again? Shaking her head, she still remembered she would have some proof if it had not been a dream. Still it felt so real to her. Was she ever going to forget those faces? Kagome knew she must have been acting all crazy again, because she got up angrily from her bench and stalked out of the park, lost in thought.

As she walked, she realized that it was getting late, and she quickened her pace. A noise from behind her made her spin around startled. There was nothing there. Feeling her heart pick up pace, she commanded her feet to move. Walking even quicker, she heard the distinct sound of a bottle falling to the cement, and she sucked in her breath sharply. Was she being followed? She was still several blocks from home and she decided the faster she moved, the quicker she got there. So breaking into a run she heard sounds of following footsteps and she spun around to face the intruder who was following her.

Still her eyes met an empty street, showered in orange as the sun was falling behind the buildings. She was terrified, and whoever was out there knew this. Uncertainly, she whispered. "Wh…who's there?" Her eyes darted to every shadow, and found nothing. Turning around she took a few hesitant steps and spun around again, maybe to catch her pursuer by surprise.

Suddenly, something shot out of the alley, which was too dark to see in, and jumped at her. Screaming in terror she held up her hands. Blinking nothing was there. "Oh god, I'm loosing my mind." She whispered. Spinning around she ran as hard as she could, turning a corner and tripping over her feet. The sounds of feet still followed her and she felt tears fill her eyes.

A flash of red filled her vision, and she gasped, spinning around again. Still nothing there. "What do you want?" She shouted. The street was empty, there was no one around, no houses with people in them to hear her crying out for help, but she cried out anyway. "Someone please help me!" She screamed. Something grabbed her and she felt a hand cover her mouth and she stared into a pair of green eyes, and she struggled with everything she had.

"Come on now. That's enough of that." The voice said in contempt. "I hear you are filled with surprises and love to pleasure everyone."

Kagome felt her eyes widen at the man who help her. His eyes were filled with hate, want and lust, and she struggled even harder, trying desperately to get away from his foul breath that reeked of alcohol. His face was familiar, one of the seniors at her school.

The guys name didn't come to her, but he jerked her against him and he lowered his hand from her mouth, which was a mistake, because Kagome let out a blood-curdling scream. A hand struck her face and she felt him drop her to the ground forcefully. She glanced around and wondered how he had managed to drag her into a dark alley without her realizing it.

The guy pressed himself against her, and his breath filled her face making her gag. "Somebody!" She screamed. "Somebody please help me!"

She received another heavy blow to her face and she felt her head snap back from the force of it. Suddenly the guy was off her and thrown into the alley. Blinking confused and terrified, she heard his cries of terror, and loud bangs and thumps as some force threw him around. Kagome seriously thought she was nuts now. There was a flash of red, and then a face hovered over hers before her mind could comprehend what it was. Golden eyes peered at her anxiously, and she sighed as her mind decided that shutting down was the best thing to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Realizations**

She felt safe, engulfed in a warm embrace, and she snapped her eyes open crying out in panic. "It wasn't a dream!" Kagome felt warm hands pushed her down onto a soft surface and she allowed her eyes to settle on deep brown ones filled with concern. It was her mother.

Blinking and frowning, she struggled against the gentle grip and cast a glance around her. She was in the hospital.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Some kids found you in the street, dear. You were unconscious."

Shaking her head, she sat up giving her mother a glare. "Where is he?" She shouted.

"Who?"

"Inuyasha?" Kagome snapped. "You better get your hanyou ass in here now!"

Her mother sighed. "Kagome, relax. I don't know whom you're talking about, but I've had about enough of this nonsense.

"Right!" Kagome pushed the covers from around her legs and stood up fuming mad. "Inuyasha!" She yelled. She knew he was here; it wasn't a dream after all. Those golden eyes bore into hers before she lost consciousness, and those ears were unmistakable. "Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted again, knowing if he was around he would be able to hear her just fine.

Blowing hot air through her nose, trying to maintain some form of collective control, she shouted. "Inuyasha! Sit boy!" There was the distinct sound of a muffled curse and a loud slam just outside the hospital window. Turning her head, and glaring at her mother whose head also turned to the window, Kagome stalked towards it and pushed open the window, staring down two floors to the ground. It was dark out but Kagome's eyes picked out the form of red on the ground, sprawled out.

Turning away from the window, Kagome bolted out the door and down the stairs with her mother shouting for her to stop. Shoving open the exit doors, Kagome stalked over to where she had seen the blob of red and snarled angrily at the now empty spot.

"Inuyasha! SIT!" If he was going to try and dodge her, she would make it extremely painful for him, and hard for him to outrun her rage. Again she heard a thump, and she raced over to where the sound was. Around the corner she saw him. Grabbing his collar, she jerked him up as much as the rosary allowed, and she yelled right into his face. "You coward!" She cried.

His eyes were clenched shut, and he winced. His collar was released, and the spell finally allowed him to gather his feet and he backed away quickly. Twisting around he tried to run.

"Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!" Kagome snarled. The hanyou flattened against the solid cement, and grunted with each sit, finally cracking the cement with the last few sits.

Kagome stalked up to him again. "How dare you! Sit!" Another grunt. "How could you be so heartless?" She cried out. Her mother came around the corner and stopped suddenly, seeing a guy sprawled on the ground. "How could you do this to me? Sit!" She raged. A whimper.

"St…stop." He whimpered.

"No! SIT!" She cried out in her fury. "I can't believe you ruined my life for your own personal gain! How dare you try and make me forget! How dare you take away my friends! Sit!" Kagome raged again, each sit getting louder and louder with each passing second.

Kagome felt hands on her shoulders and she shrugged them off. "Mom, stay back!"

Oh Inuyasha was going to pay. "Tell me one thing, Inuyasha! How did you manage to seal the well, and you are able to be here while I can't go back?"

A soft whimper reached her ears. "I was only trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" She snarled. "_Protect me?_"

Inuyasha sat up with difficulty and attempted to cross his legs. Kagome's mother sat back on her knees and stared at him, as if for the first time. "What?" Inuyasha frowned. "It's not like you've never seen me before."

"She doesn't remember anything, Inuyasha!" Kagome shoved his shoulder, punching him hard at his name. "You successfully managed to outcast me from my friends and family, making me sound like a raving lunatic, and you say you were only trying to protect me?"

Inuyasha blinked, peering closer at Kagome's mother. Her eyes held no recognition. "Well how is it you remember? I wished for no one to remember."

"A promise is stronger then a wish, you idiot!" Her face was red from her exertion.

"What promise?" Inuyasha blinked.

"I promised not to forget anyone! Remember you baka? You were there, or were you just not listening, like usual?"

Inuyasha sighed. "So you are the only one who remembers?"

"Oh it took some time, after months of therapy, and I would have thought myself crazy if you hadn't shown your face." She yanked on the beads, pulling his face closer to hers. "Now answer my question!"

"Keh! Come on Kagome, what ties me to you?" Inuyasha scoffed, looking pointedly at the beads around his neck.

She glared down in her hand. "So you kept the beads? Why not send those back with me? So you wouldn't have this headache anymore? And why did you put them back on?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Trust me, I would rather have not put them back around my neck. I tried to enter the well without them first and I only slammed into the bottom. Then I held them in my haori but still I flattened myself. So the only other thing I could think of was to put them on. It worked and here I am. If I had left them with you, my wish would have been over run once you had seen them."

"What an idiot!" Kagome raged. "You ruined my life!" She stood up and shouted over her shoulder for good measure. "SIT!"

Inuyasha made a strangled sound and met the cement once more.

"Why'd you come back?" Kagome snorted.

"I only wanted to make sure you were okay." Came his pained response.

"Oh so you come, hoping to find me well and fine and then leave again?"

Inuyasha pushed himself up slightly. "Yes. That was my intention. I couldn't let you see me; it would have erased my wish. That guy was hurting you and I couldn't stand by and just watch it happen. I should have just left it well enough alone." He sat up fully now, glaring at her back. His eyes met the wide ones of her mothers and he smirked.

"I guess you should have!" Kagome snarled, stalking back to him and she almost laughed when he cringed away from her in fear. "Oh yes, Inuyasha, be afraid, very afraid for what I have in store for you is going to make my sits look like a rainbow after a spring rain."

Inuyasha flinched at the threat. He released a whimper that he had unsuccessfully tried to bite back.

Kagome smiled sweetly at him. "Now let's go back to the shrine shall we? I really need to have a talk with my little elusive _friend_ here." She stressed the word friend with sarcasm, it dripping from her lips like poison.

Inuyasha got up quickly, and bolted down the street.

"SIT!"

Again he flattened meeting his good old friend, the ground. His yelp still echoing on the night air.

Kagome glanced at her mother and crossed her arms. "Told you I wasn't crazy!"

Her mother stood and nodded, still in shock.

They began walking, and every time the spell wore off Inuyasha and him trying to race away into the night, Kagome's sits were heard echoing in the night. Followed by a grunt of pain, and a whimper, and then his running feet again.

Kagome's mother sighed. "You're hurting the poor dear."

"Ha! I'll be doing much more then this once we get back home mother." Kagome snapped.

Inuyasha blanched at her tone and his ears flattened on the top of his head and he whimpered softly. Had he been so wrong as to want to make sure she was safe? How had things turned out so wrong? Now he was going to have to explain himself fully. Looking at his feet, he shuffled behind the two women and groaned softly. He did fear Kagome when she was enraged, but somehow this was different.

He had deeply hurt her and it was something he had never wanted to do in the first place. Inuyasha had only wanted her to be happy, but he had made a grave mistake somewhere down the line, and now he was going to pay for it. Taking a deep breath, he wordlessly followed Kagome and her mother all the way to the shrine where he was sure to have ringing ears for the next few hours.

Smiling slightly, he glanced at the back of Kagome's head. This was the Kagome he knew and loved. Nodding, he quickened his pace and followed behind her closely, almost stepping on her heels as they walked.

Kagome whirled around to shout out something to him, but yelped when she noticed him right there, and she stumbled over her feet, tipping over.

Inuyasha grinned and snaked his arm around her waist and drew her to him quickly, steadying her before she fell. Her hands landed on his chest with a gasp, and he felt a blush rise to his cheeks. There had been other times like this, where they had been close, and Inuyasha flashed a smile at her, before wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Hells I missed you, wench!" Inuyasha whispered in her ear.

Kagome gaped and then slowly relaxed in his embrace. "Don't think you're getting out of a good chastising just because you are hugging me, Inuyasha." She whispered.

"Keh! If you weren't so clumsy, I wouldn't have had to have caught you." Inuyasha released her and allowed the grin to spread over her lips again. He crossed the grounds quickly and hopped up the side of the house without a word, and slipped into her bedroom before either Kagome or her mother had made it half way across their yard.

Kagome's mother shook her head. "He is fast. I suppose I should make something to eat?"

Kagome nodded and broke into a run and slipped into the house darting up the stairs where she knew Inuyasha would be waiting. She knew she hadn't been crazy, and now seeing him after all this time, made a real smile cross her lips for the first time in a long time. It was so good to see him again that she couldn't contain her excitement as she bounded up the stairs. Yes she would get mad at him, but as always they would make up and be friends again.

Besides, what were friends without a little argument from time to time? It would certainly be a dull friendship, however, Inuyasha was never dull.


End file.
